Over at MacRumors several people say they saw a mention of a new Aperture in the live presentation for the new MacPro. Let's hope!

Not exactly - during the showcase of the upcoming MacPro (to be released in December, according to the presentation), there was a case study of a pro photographer that was using the new MacPro with a version of Aperture that was modified to take advantage of the new machine's features. I am paraphrasing from memory. They did not specifically say anything like the "preview version of Aperture 4" or something tantalizing like that.

If they are going to release new versions of the Pro applications, I would imagine that they will coincide with the launch of the new MacPro.

Ok it took me just under 95 minutes from download to installing of Maverick via MacBook Pro Retina Display 15" with 16GB Ram. Had no issues when installing. Both Aperture, iPhoto and along with Lightroom 5.2 opened and ran with no issues as far as I could tell. Aperture Library/Lightroom Catalog are stored on a Drobo 5D via Thunderbolt. Also did some fast testing with Nik Software with Aperture and had no issues. Now need to test other plug-ins.

As the OP of this thread, I thought I should update. Although Amazon has since removed the page, I pre-ordered the book. Every 6 weeks Amazon sends me a query if I still want the book and if so they will send as soon as it is released. As for the release of Aperture x, it was mentioned at the recent introduction of Mavericks & Mac Pro. So a good guess is Dec. when the Pro is released.

The latest missed opportunity to update Aperture with the new Mac Pro makes me sad.

We Aperture users have been waiting and hoping for so long now. At each opportunity for Apple to release a significant new version of Aperture, they don’t. And so we predict the next big media event, or the next OS release, or the next hardware release, or, or ,or… will be The One. And then it’s not.

Certainly I have to imagine that there will be an “Aperture X” at some point. But how far behind Adobe is Apple falling in basic image adjustment technology?

Apple is the undisputed king of interface design and hardware/software integration. And today’s Aperture shows that. But are they also the king of imaging technology? It would be hard to argue for them as Adobe’s years of Photoshop experience would seem to give them a near insurmountable lead.

But perhaps Apple can disrupt even Adobe?

Hopefully they can before the few remaining Aperture users move to Adobe for more features, more open communication and a solid history of updates.

you are right, but ....... "je ne sais pas", it has something that does no make sense to me. I have tried LR since v1 and after some tries I still do not find it correct, it is not "natural", e.g. changing modules. Training..... it is not an issue, I have bought and read several books with every author and the LuLa videos, which are great by the way, however even though I understand it and know it, it is not in my "hearth".

It's hugely disappointing. Final Cut Pro, Motion, Compressor, and Logic Pro all got significant updates yesterday. I wouldn't consider the Aperture 3.5 update of a few months back in the same ballpark, and Aperture's starting from a much older code base. Final Cut Pro and Logic, I think, are Apple's statement what a video and a music editing program should be. I can't say the same for Aperture now - it's just gone a bit stale.

I can think of a few reasons for the delay in Aperture 4/X, none of them good:

1. It's not ready. Probably the most likely explanation. But if not now, when? The team surely knew about the December deadline for months. The other "pro" app teams all managed to hit it. Aperture 3.x is almost four years old; the last major-ish update - 3.3 - was more than a year ago. If 4/X wasn't good to go now, what's the earliest possibility?

2. They're waiting on some iPad companion app. Possible, but then who knows when everything will be ready? This is potentially the best explanation as the delay could just be an announcement timing issue: Mac Pro and the other "pro" apps now, Aperture and companion sometime in the new year.

3. Apple thinks Aperture 3.x is fine. It's a very good program, but I sure hope they don't think it's complete. The Aperture team are surely not dummies, and they're well aware of what Lightroom - and Final Cut! - can do, so I don't find this likely, but it would be hugely disappointing if true.

Well, as long as we're just watering in a gust … I wouldn't discount that there has been some kind of battle within Apple about Aperture. It was a great program, brilliantly conceived and stringently executed (imho, obviously), and then it's had it's center moved closer to iPhoto and iOS. I suspect there are a lot of Apple employees yanking on the edge of that big hole (Aperture). I worry that the ROI for a top-level photographer's RAW workflow tool has been determined to be small. Final Cut may sell Mac Pros; Aperture, not so much.

I'm pessimistic that Aperture 4 will be a worthy extension of Aperture 3. I think it more likely it will be an inclusive, multi-platform, super-iPhoto (with something like automatic eye-detect and sharpening). Apple does a great job of maximizing revenue. The market of cameras and digital development software has "matured" in the sense that what is available is more than most people use. The revenue all lies in capturing and isolating the big fat middle.

I'm pessimistic that Aperture 4 will be a worthy extension of Aperture 3. I think it more likely it will be an inclusive, multi-platform, super-iPhoto (with something like automatic eye-detect and sharpening). Apple does a great job of maximizing revenue. The market of cameras and digital development software has "matured" in the sense that what is available is more than most people use. The revenue all lies in capturing and isolating the big fat middle.

I suspect that, as others have said, we’re waiting for Apple’s major re-write of what Aperture even is. Maybe it is taking SO LONG because they have been sharply criticized for past releases of other major software that dropped features and only slowly began bringing them back a point revision at a time.

Regardless, it would be hard to say that Apple is nearly as concerned about the creative professional today as it once was. Their market focus has shifted more toward the consumer both in their software and their hardware. Lightroom is roundly criticized for having too few new features to call it a full version upgrade each time they go from 3 to 4 to 5. But add features, refine edges, fix bugs and continue to march ahead they do.

Adobe’s bread and butter is the creative professional. They simply must move their products ahead, even if by small amounts and at higher than user-pleasing costs (and don’t get me started on the full Creative Cloud). But how many among us Aperture fans would not be willing to pay for more signifiant upgrade more frequently?

What I do think I know is that Apple will need to really wow the Aperture crowd with it’s next major update, whenever it is, to avoid the end of Aperture as a professional's tool and the start of Aperture as a upwardly mobile prosumer's tool. And there may be nothing wrong with that for Apple. But professional photographers will go elsewhere.

I really had no complaints about the current version of Aperture, until I got my Lumix GX7 recently. Aperture seriously messed up shadow details of higher iso images (iso 800 or higher, see attached image). With Adobe offering both Lightroom and Photoshop for $10/mo, I couldn't resist.

Well, I hated using Lightroom. The whole experience just feels really clunky to me. The interface is messy and speed slow. If Apple fixes the GX7 processing issue alone, I'll stick with it. Photography is just my hobby, I don't have patience for bad user experience.

I really had no complaints about the current version of Aperture, until I got my Lumix GX7 recently. Aperture seriously messed up shadow details of higher iso images (iso 800 or higher, see attached image).

Does the loss of detail appear to be from Aperture's noise reduction algorithm? Or have you turned that adjustment off?